| Leeds Knights | |
|---|---|
| City | Leeds,England |
| League | NIHL |
| Division | National League |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Home arena | Planet Ice Leeds |
| Colors | Blue, Yellow and White |
| Head coach | Ryan Aldridge |
| Captain | Kieran Brown |
| Website | Leeds Knights |
| Franchise history | |
| 2019 - 2021 | Leeds Chiefs |
| 2021 - Present | Leeds Knights |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 3 (2023, 2024, 2025) |
| Challenge Cups | 1 (2025) |
| Playoff championships | 1 (2023) |
TheLeeds Knights are a professionalice hockey team based inLeeds,West Yorkshire, England. The team is a member of theNational League and plays atPlanet Ice Leeds.
The team was announced, along with the newNational League, on 16 March 2019.[1] However, rumours of a Leeds-based team playing out of the 1800 capacity[2] Planet Ice Leeds arena were circulating months beforehand.[3] In joining the league, they became the first ever hockey team to play out of the city.[4]
The Chiefs name was selected by Planet Ice following the results of a fan poll. The 'Chiefs' moniker won the poll, results of which were announced on 16 May 2019, having beaten the alternatives; Cotton Kings and Mighty Mammoths.[5]
FormerWhitley Warriors DefencemanSam Zajac was announced asPlayer-coach of the team on 10 May 2019.[6] Zajac's first signing for the Chiefs was formerManchester Phoenix captain, Defenceman Luke Boothroyd.[7]
In November 2019, head coachSam Zajac launched an urgent appeal after a large amount of the team's equipment was stolen from an apartment block inBatley. This included new helmets that hadn't even been worn yet, along with sticks and gloves used by the players all season.[8] Despite this, the Chiefs confirmed their weekend games would go ahead as planned via a statement on Twitter.
In their firstNational League season, the Chiefs finished 10th. They won 13 games, losing 36, achieving 28 points overall. The season was curtailed in March 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9] For the first five months of the season, the Chiefs were required to play home games elsewhere, due to a delay in the opening of their rink.[10] The first game at their Elland Road arena was againstSheffield Steeldogs on 31 January 2020.[11]
In 2021, the club rebranded and changed their name from Leeds Chiefs toLeeds Knights due to a change in ownership. The team is now owned by Stephen Nell who was an also owner ofSwindon Wildcats. The new name has ties to theRoyal Armouries in Leeds.[12] David Whistle arrived as Head Coach and General Manager, but departed in January 2022. FormerSwindon Wildcats coach Ryan Aldridge was then appointed as interim coach until the end of the 2021/22 season.[13]
Aldridge was named as permanent Head Coach ready for the 2022-2023 season, a season in which the Knights won both the league and the playoffs.[14] In the 2023-2024 season, the Knights successfully defended their league title, but lost in the playoff final toPeterborough Phantoms in a shootout defeat.[15] The following off-season,England Ice Hockey accepted a request to submit Leeds Knights 2, a new team, into theNIHL 1 North league. Upon creation, Davey Lawrence, the Leeds' National League team's assistant head coach, became the Head Coach of Knights 2.[16]
Correct as of 2 November 2024
(*) Denotes a Non-British Trained player (Import)
| Netminders | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Catches | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | Contract | |||
| 31 | | Sam Gospel | L | (1994-03-27)27 March 1994 (age 31) | Nottingham,England | 2021 fromManchester Storm | 24/25 | |||
| 32 | | Harrison Walker | L | (2002-06-25)25 June 2002 (age 22) | Bradford,England | 2022 fromWidnes Wild | 24/25 | |||
| Defencemen | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | Contract | ||
| 3 | | Bailey Perre | R | (2004-05-10)10 May 2004 (age 20) | Swindon,England | 2022 fromSwindon Wildcats | Two-Way | ||
| 8 |  | Bowdyn Neely | R | (2003-10-15)15 October 2003 (age 21) | Calgary,Canada | 2023 fromSouth Shore Kings | 26/27 | ||
| 14 | | Lewis Baldwin | R | (1999-07-02)2 July 1999 (age 25) | Billingham,England | 2019 fromSolway Sharks | 25/26 | ||
| 18 |  | Krisjanis Fugalis | L | (2003-04-23)23 April 2003 (age 21) | Liepāja,Latvia | 2024 fromIroquois Falls Storm | 24/25 | ||
| 24 | | Dylan Hehir | R | (2002-11-30)30 November 2002 (age 22) | Billingham,England | 2022 fromWhitley Warriors | 24/25 | ||
| 44 | | Jordan Griffin | R | (2002-01-29)29 January 2002 (age 23) | Crewe,England | 2020 fromSheffield Steelers | 24/25 | ||
| 54 | | Noah McMullin* | L | (1998-06-15)15 June 1998 (age 26) | Sackville,Canada | 2023 fromOntario Tech University | 24/25 | ||
| Forwards | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | Contract | |||
| 6 | | Ethan Hehir | R | (2001-07-02)2 July 2001 (age 23) | Billingham,England | 2019 fromBillingham Stars | 24/25 | |||
| 9 |  | Jordan Buesa | L | (2000-03-30)30 March 2000 (age 25) | Troon,Scotland | 2023 fromGlasgow Clan | 24/25 | |||
| 11 | | Matthew Haywood | L | (1990-12-27)27 December 1990 (age 34) | Doncaster,England | 2022 fromGlasgow Clan | 24/25 | |||
| 12 | | Kieran Brown'C' | L | (2001-02-27)27 February 2001 (age 24) | Bradford,England | 2021 fromWidnes Wild | 24/25 | |||
| 19 | | Innes Gallacher | R | (2004-10-05)5 October 2004 (age 20) | Kilmarnock,Scotland | 2023 fromKilmarnock Thunder | 24/25 | |||
| 22 | | Edgars Vengis | L | (2008-09-18)18 September 2008 (age 16) | Ogre,Latvia | - | Two-Way | |||
| 23 |  | Michael Danečko | L | (2004-06-23)23 June 2004 (age 20) | Havířov,Czech Republic | 2024 fromSheffield Steeldogs | Two-Way | |||
| 33 | | Finley Bradon | R | (2005-11-24)24 November 2005 (age 19) | Darlington,England | 2022 fromBillingham Stars | 26/27 | |||
| 37 | | Matthew Barron* | R | (1999-03-25)25 March 1999 (age 26) | Yarmouth,Canada | 2023 fromTrois-Rivieres Lions | 24/25 | |||
| 41 | | Oliver Endicott | L | (2004-06-10)10 June 2004 (age 20) | Swindon,England | 2022 fromIPK U20 | 24/25 | |||
| 73 | | Matt Bissonnette* | L | (1992-01-16)16 January 1992 (age 33) | Beaconsfield,Canada | 2024 fromSheffield Steeldogs | 24/25 | |||
| 95 | | Mac Howlett | L | (1999-12-30)30 December 1999 (age 25) | Woking,England | 2023 fromDundee Stars | 25/26 | |||
| Team Staff | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nat. | Name | Position | Acquired | Place of birth | Joined From | |||||
| Ryan Aldridge | Head coach | 2022 | Swindon,England | Okanagan Hockey Academy U18, England U18 | |||||
| Stephen Nell | General manager/Owner | 2021 | England | Swindon Wildcats,NIHL | |||||
| Jason Thomas | Equipment/Team Manager | 2019 | Swindon,England | ||||||
| Verity Thomas | Partnership Manager | 2024 | England | ||||||
Source:[17]
As of 17 March 2025
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime Losses; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against